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N-09

Formal charge and Lewis-structure selection — choosing between competing structures

Genuinely new

Confidence: verified

IB sub-topics affected

EditorialSub-topic tagging is this site’s own editorial judgement, not the IB’s.

A bookkeeping device (valence electrons − non-bonding electrons − ½ bonding electrons) used to choose between competing valid-looking Lewis structures. New because GCSE never presents competing structures at all.

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